Fibromyalgia Support Group

You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

how are some able to work and others cant

The medical world tells us this syndrome is not progressive. That being said, how is it some can work while others cannot? before i came to this site i did not realize that some cannot walk unaided. i only work part time and it is not a physical job so i am thankful for that, but it scares me to think i could progress to not being able to walk unaided. For those that are not able to work my question is did your fibro gradually cause you to not function in a work field or was it sudden. How many believe fibro is progressive. Thanks for your impute.

I don't think the condition itself is progressive. The intensity of symptoms is sometimes worse than at other times--ebbs and flows. What IS progressive is the loss of muscle mass/tone/flexibility because when the symptoms are bad, you don't want to move. Some jobs, like computer work (for me) make my symptoms worse. So when I have a slug of computer work to do, I'm gonna feel like crap for weeks.

Fibro seems to be like a bad roller coaster ride. (In my case anyhow) One week I am a box of birds - in pain yes, but able to cope enough to ride my horses, go to the gym EVEN, like today, do some serious gardening!!!

However other weeks like last week I did not have the energy to cope. I was a mess. Just having a conversation was too much. I was in severe pain and the exhaustion was all consuming.

The up side of it is... the bad days sure make me appreciate the good :-)

This is a very individual condition, depends on how it affects each person and if there are any other conditions running alongside it. Not sure if it is progressive though, it's just so unpredictable that it makes life and plans difficult, more times than others. My symptoms were all of a sudden, overnight really. Hugs, Owlxx

think when you have overlaping conditions its hard to have a job.. I had to quit mine in 2003, my back totally gave out. then in 2006 was dx with fibro, have diabetes, arthritis. and its not fun being home. I miss my job so much.. as far as fibro being progressive.. I am not sure. think if someone with fibro keeps overdoing it could lead to more pain and more muscles getting worse. course im no dr. but that is all i can relate to.. :)

Not sure if it's progressive, but I do agree with ChaCha about ebbs &amp; flows. In my case, I was happily working with my husband, we were counseling couples almost daily, then all of a sudden I was down with fatigue and pain. Had to cancel all upcoming counseling appointments, but kept thinking I'd be able to get back to work soon. That was 6 months ago. I feel terrible about leaving those couples hanging, but I just can't do much of anything anymore - certainly nothing I can count on or plan in advance. Never know how I'll be day to day. Now I'm trying to discover some other way to be productive with this illness.

Actually Cha Cha, you bring up a good point. I wonder if the disease appears progressive because people stop moving and become overweight.
I make it a mission to go to the GYM at least 5 days a week no matter what, I regard it as vital and I know I wouldn't have the strength or balance to cope with riding if I didn't.

Mine is progressive. I also think I have Myofascial pain which I could be getting mixed up with the Fibro pain. I haven't lost strength but am constantly dropping things. I've developed a rash and organ inflammation over the past year and tremours, shakes etc. over the past 2. I don't take any pain medications. I started taking Voltaren (anti-inflammatory) about 2 months ago but started getting heartburn. I have another doctor's appt on Tuesday to discuss other options and request an MRI. I've always worked but have a supportive hubby who helps me with everything once I'm home.

Carrie have you been tested for Lupus or Lyme disease? Some of what you're describing dosen't fit fibro. Doesn't mean you've been misdiagnosed, but you might have other things going on as well.

As for working, I haven't worked for a year, but I have just accepted a part-time job to start on 2/4, and I'm pretty nervous about it. I have gotten much worse since I was in an accident in late 2006 (which is why I left my last job), and I have to stay positive and believe I can still do this.

The &quot;progressive&quot; thing always confuses people. I think what the medical profession means when they say &quot;not progressive&quot; is that it isn't going to eventually kill you. I told my doctor last visit that it can make you WISH you were dead sometimes, but it won't kill you. That doesn't mean that the symptoms don't get worse - for a lot of people they do. But this is a very unpredictable condition, and each person seems to respond differently.

As Snork says, many are helped by regular exercise to keep muscles strong and flexible. But I know also know some people who cannot exercise without suffering worse pain, so nothing is guaranteed to help everyone.

I think anyone with fibro who is overweight should do what they can to work on that, as our bodies don't need any more stress than they already have. I'm carrying around about 20 extra pounds, and I can feel the added stress to my body when I walk or climb stairs especially. We need to do everything possible to stay as healthy as possible.

I totally think it progresses...started out just as an occasional flu like muscle/joint aches...Now years later I cannot even work and at times have one hell of a time to keep up with in home things...I used to be able to easily do it all...i expected to slow down some as I age...but at 44 i am far from Old yet...lol...have not worked in 2 years...have failed at every attemt to go back...and I totally LOVED what i was doing...breaks my heart !!

I haven't worked for about two and a half years. My pain was building but it was in a very short amount of time that it hit me so severely. There are many people with fibro who can work all of their lives. Some people just have it worse than others. I do think that you do need to take care of yourself though because I do believe that a lot of stress or trauma can make it worse. I wish you the best and hope you can always continue pushing along. God Bless. Love Cris

I think a lot of whether you can work or not depends on how bad the disease is and what you job consists of.

When I was first diagnoised I was a nail tech. I did this for 16 years with FM. I sat for 9 to 12 hours straight all day. It was killing me. The dr. said I had to cut my hours to 8 if I wanted to continue working at all. I did and it got somewhat better but not much.

I've been out of the beauty industry for 6 years. I now have a job in accounting. Yes, I sit at the computer a lot but we have three buildings and I have to make several trips a day. I've found walking every hour or so saves my life. I've heard and truly believe from experience that sitting for long periods is one of the worse things a person with FM can do.

For a year I worked in a dept. store where I had to be on my feet at all times, walking alot and constantly bending, stooping and just moving. I felt wonderful then and would go back but due to circumstances at home I can't work the late hours.

As others have said, it depends on the person. One factor for many people is the 'brain fog', even if some people are able to still do the physical work, sometimes the mental laspes prevent them working. Some people do end up in wheelchairs, others are able to continue work for years. Excersize is great for some. an absolute no-no for others. And a lot depends on other conditions you may have, and how they impact each other. For example, I have both arthritis and fibro, some treatments that are good for one are not good for the other. Last visit to the doctor, we talked about that, my arthritis is getting worse, excersize would help, but my doctor has told me NO..anything other than gentle stretches are too much for me, and I know she's right, because even a little extra walking in the house does a number on me for days. Just work with your doctor, and stay hopeful. Stress is the absolute worse thing, so do try not to worry about it, deal with what comes, when and if it comes. hugs

Peace, I have the paperwork for getting tested for Lyme Disease. From what I've read, I don't think that is what I have. Lupus could be a possibility but don't quite have the red mask rash that most people talk about. I should look up other symptoms and see.

My doctor diagnosed me but she didn't do any other testing at the time. My new doc is great and will get any and all testing done for me. I'll ask about Lupus, MS and Arthritis (even for a specialist appt) to rule these out.

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